Adventures of Old
by Munchlax Jr
Summary: It is widely recognized that Gol D. Roger inspired those such as Shanks and Monkey D. Luffy to brave the dangers of the world for the sake of dreams. However, one must wonder; what kind of pirates inspired Roger to do the same? Follow the journeys of "Croaker" Nicholas Bullfrog to see the world as it was long before the Pirate King came into play. Accepting OCs! Read inside first.


Chapter One: The Croaker Croaks.

"My treasure? If you want it, I'll let you have it. Go look for it. I left all of it at that place!"

These words were the final ones spoken by a man who could only be fittingly described as legendary; Gold Roger, the Pirate King. A man so powerful, the simple utterance of his name was more than enough to strike mortal terror into even the most hardened and bloodthirsty of criminals and warriors alike be they pirates, bandits, assassins, or bounty hunters.

This was because Roger and any man who was brave enough to serve under him managed to accomplish something completely unprecedented that rattled the entire world to its core; he had sailed the entire Grand Line. This stretch of ocean is known and feared as the Pirates' Graveyard having taken the lives of countless seafaring explorers day after day thanks to being the location of sporadically stormy weather as well as the home of hundreds of mighty and ravenous sea creatures that easily dwarf any kind of ship.

Why a man who had done so much and could still do so much more suddenly submit to ultimate punishment of death carried out by Marines and the World Government, only a select number of people know. Regardless, even in his dying breath Roger managed to spur men, women, and children everywhere to waters constantly wrought with dangers of endless kinds, hoping for even the smallest of chances in achieving their dreams. To succeed Roger and claim his godlike status was just one of those dreams, one that is more than likely the most shared amongst those of the romantic sort.

While one might be correct in saying that both the Pirate King and his death were responsible for harboring in an entirely new age of piracy, that person would be incorrect if he or she were to think that Roger is where piracy began. As strong as he was and as powerful as he was, in the end he was just a man. And like any other man, he started his dreaming as a little boy who idolized the courageous souls who were willing to oppress any "can't" with a "can" and dared to live a life of eternal and adventurous freedom on the raging seas.

Though the number of infamous outlaws and explorers was somewhat less than what had come into this world after Roger had left it, the pirates were still a spectacle to behold with awe and wonder. It is true that there were dozens upon dozens of petty crooks and killers as there are today, but they paled pathetically when compared to the pirates whose deeds were so fearful and great that the World Government would resort to a desperately drastic measure. Rather than be publicly executed and still be allowed the privilege of living on in people's memory as had been Roger's fate, there were those who came both before and after him that were removed from the world and history entirely.

For any pirate worth his salt in the Grand Line, there is only one destination awaiting him should he be captured by an enemy; Impel Down, the Great Underwater Prison. Located not in the Grand Line, but in a sea that can be just as dangerous if not more, it is a gaol with iron-tight security that is filled with excruciatingly sadistic ways to torture prisoners, whether they act out of line or not. This prison is where this story begins and where it ends as well for you see dear reader, this tale is not of Gold Roger. An overly zealous fan of the Pirate King's would probably cease reading at this point. Roger himself however, might wish to continue on as this story is one about one of his own greatest heroes; an adventurer whose exploits inspired him to discover something that changed his entire outlook of the world. That man's name was Nicholas Bullfrog.

"All of you at the ready! We cannot risk anything going wrong today!"

These commands were being barked out by an enormous man who was situated at the end of the dock that led to the entrance of Impel Down. Standing tall, much taller than the workers he was ordering about, his facial features appeared similar to those of a mandrill. His outfit, though entirely professional, had an almost demonic look to it. Rather large bat-like wings could be seen on his back and underneath his hat (which featured the prison's insignia) it seemed as though there were horns growing out of his forehead. His face was stern and somewhat angry, almost as if he was expecting the opposite of what was scheduled to occur. This man was both one of the most respected and one of the most feared members of the goal's staff; the vice warden Magellan.

One of the many jailers that worked under Magellan quickly approached him; in his hands there was a small, reddish snail that had a green shell with a red strip going across its apex. This snail was a common piece of technology used throughout the world for both communication and in the case of Impel Down, surveillance; a Transponder Snail. "Vice warden sir," the jailer said respectfully. He held the small creature up to his superior. "The warden wishes to have a word with you before the prisoner is brought out." Magellan nodded and accepted the snail from his subordinate. "Yes sir?"

The snail's mouth began to move, as if it were actually capable of talking. What this meant was that at another location, one that wasn't far away, the warden had his own Transponder Snail and was speaking into it so that he could relay what he wanted Magellan to know. An elderly, rather gruff voice spoke out, "I want you to swear to me that you won't be using your abilities on him. Believe me when I tell you that they will not be needed for this."

Magellan could himself tense up from this statement. His grip around the Snail tightened up slightly. "What are you saying sir?" he asked, trying to refrain from using a rebellious tone. "You and I both are well aware of what he can do! Should he attempt to escape, I need to be prepared!" The snail said nothing but its eyes appeared to grow more serious, as if it was the one Magellan was defying. "Do as I say Magellan." The vice warden stiffened. He opened up his mouth as if to try and argue more, but decided to against it and merely swallowed. He stood straight and firm and saluted, despite the fact that his boss was not before him. "Understood sir." He faced the other jailers and motioned toward the front doors. "Bring out the Croaker!"

The giant prison doors slowly began to swing forward. Several more jailers poured out, each armed with his own rifle. Following them was not another jailer, nor was it any of the more higher ranking members of the prison staff. It was the 'Croaker' whom Magellan ordered to be brought out.

The man was quite large in size and stature as he easily stood over the people around him, although he still did not match up to the height of Magellan. He appeared rather portly, sporting both a full face (which had a roundish nose at its center) and a big belly. Though his head was bald, a long, gray beard that had somewhat of a green hue covered his jawline. Instead of the striped, rag-like clothes prisoners were forced to wear he was wearing clothes that looked quite fine, albeit a bit weathered with age. He wore a plain, buttoned up white dress shirt under a jet black vest. A bottle green cravat was wrapped around his neck and a lavender sash wrapped around his waist. He also wore maroon colored trousers along with a pair of a black dress boots that had white, ruffled brims. Hanging from his shoulders was a long coat, the same shade of green as his cravat that had golden trimming and epaulets on it. Upon his head was a black bowler hat that was bound by a white ribbon and on his right hand was a silken, black glove. All in all, with the exception of the handcuffs on his wrists, he did not look like a prisoner.

The man walked calmly to the end of the dock where Magellan was standing, all of the jailers directing their weapons in his direction. Once having reached the vice warden, he grinned and raised up his hands. "**Think you can take these off of me**?" he asked, his voice sounding rather low and very hoarse. "**They're **_starting to chafe a little_." An odd thing happened as he continued to speak. His voice, still sounding quite rough, raised to a much higher pitch that did not befit a person of his age or size. In spite of the strangeness of it, Magellan did not appear surprised. He simply glared at the prisoner and replied with a grumpy and firm, "No."

The Croaker's grin grew. He leaned toward the Transponder Snail that was still in Magellan's fist and said, "_It's not like you have anything to worry about. I'm not_ **planning on running away from this.**" The creature still wore the same serious expression that it did a few minutes ago. The warden's voice came from its mouth once again. "Do not misunderstand Croaker," was heard. "This is a special privilege you are being granted for not having caused any trouble during your time here. If you suddenly decide to start something, I will allow Magellan to execute you the way he wants."

Croaker proceeded to let a hearty, yet rather weird sounding laugh. "**Crohohohoho! If I were** _to cause trouble, I would've done it when I _**first got to this place**!" he exclaimed with the cheerfulness clear in his voice. He then turned towards the ocean and peered down to the sparkling blue waters. "_My friends, my _**family**,** they've been gone for years**," he said still sounding happy. "**I've been wanting to join them for a long time. But **_to take my own life would be the way of a coward_. _If I saw them after killing myself_, _they would not accept me_. _But this, this _**is the end of my chapter**."

Magellan chose not to say anything now. Instead, he motioned for the jailers to move as to make an opening. Swiftly and strongly he pushed Croaker straight into the open sea, the smile on the prisoner's face bigger than ever. Normally when a person is submerged in water, they should be able to keep themselves afloat. However, the Croaker was one of the several people in the world, Magellan included, to have eaten the enigmatic object known only as the Devil Fruit. Numerous but rare, Devil Fruits can be found nearly anywhere in the world and whoever should take as much as just one bite from one will be granted a strange power. These abilities can vary greatly. Some can involve the transformation into an animal while others draw the strength from the very forces of nature itself. But, with such a gift comes a heavy price to pay. Once a Devil Fruit is eaten, said eater will never be able to swim again. Once placed in a deep enough body of water, the person will sink like a rock and surely drown if not rescued.

Magellan gazed at the sea, still looking as grim as ever. "It's over," he declared to the Transponder Snail. "The 'Croaker' Nicholas Bullfrog is finally dead sir. But I'm still confused warden. Please tell me, why let scum like him die as he wants? After all he's done?" The Snail's eyes gazed up to the vice warden's face and its mouth formed a small smile. "The man was dying anyway Magellan," the warden's voice answered. "Really, what harm was there in it?" With that the creature closed its eyes which proceeded to droop, indicating that the warden had hung up his own Transponder Snail which ended the conversation and allowed both Snails to rest. Magellan and his subordinates had been left to their own thoughts.

Now deep within the cold ocean waters, Bullfrog continued to sink. His consciousness gradually giving up on him, he closed his eyes and thought to himself, **_"The time has come at last. Everything that happened, everything I did back then, it was worth it. If I could go back and start over, I wouldn't change a thing. Not if I was able to meet you all again. Just hang on everyone, I'm on my way."_**

* * *

_Several years__ beforehand..._

In a sea located far, far away from both the Grand Line and Impel Down, a sea called the East Blue, there was a small island. Located on this island, there was a quiet, peaceful, and rather sleepy little town. The path that led to this down was began at a small wooden dock that faced the ocean. Sitting on this dock was a much younger, Nicholas Bullfrog.

Bullfrog, who was at the time no older than twenty-two, was much shorter and smaller than he would eventually come to be in the distant future. Not yet fat he did possess a broad, stocky build that made him appear a little bit muscular. His head was full of bright green hair that was both wavy and unkempt and reached down to his shoulders. Covering some of it, was in fact the very same bowler hat he would still wear in his older years, now looking far less ragged than it eventually would look. On his chin grew not a full beard, but a small, scruffy goatee the same color as his hair.

Bullfrog was wearing an emerald green dress shirt along with a pair of trousers that sported a cyan and purple checkered pattern on them which were held up by pair of black suspenders. On his neck there was a white cravat and on his feet were brown boots, each having a golden buckle. His right hand was covered by a silken glove that was not black, but instead green. Tucked into his suspenders was what appeared to be the sheath of a katana. It was the color of turquoise and adorned with the pictures of several coral pink seashells and starfish. What was odd though was that the sheath had no sword inside of it.

Perched onto Bullfrog's shoulder was a real frog, the animal having red skin that was covered in jade green spots which was the same color as its belly. It had large, yellow eyes which possessed beady black pupils. Currently, the frog was listening to Bullfrog strum what sounded like a melancholy tune on a guitar that easily appeared to be older than the both of them. As Bullfrog hummed along to the music he played it swayed back and forth, enjoying itself.

"You're really going to leave, aren't you?"

A voice from behind the pair spoke up and snapped them out of the trance Bullfrog had caused. He placed the guitar aside, stood up and turned around. He was now facing a woman who looked like she was old enough to be his mother. She was not as tall as Bullfrog, only coming up to his round nose. She looked tired, wrinkles evident under both of her red brown eyes. He hair, a rosy brown color was done up into two buns at the back of her head. She wore a rather long, white coat akin to that of a doctor which in fact was her occupation. Her expression seemed to be that of concern and worry.

Bullfrog smiled as he turned back to the sea, looking down at a small, wooden boat that was anchored to it which was filled with supplies. "**I hope you're not gonna try and stop me **_Pepper-sensei_," he replied without looking back at her. The woman, known as Pepper now smiled and shook her head. "As if I would've been able to stop you," she said knowingly. She walked over to him and placed a caring hand on his empty right shoulder. "You know you don't have to go back, don't you?" she asked. "After what you've been through, no one would blame you for quitting the pirate life. It's not as if you promised anyone anything."

Bullfrog gripped his gloved right hand with his left and shook his head, his frog mimicking both actions. "_You're wrong sensei_," he said now facing her. "**I did promise someone. I **_promised me._" He then wrapped his arms around her and gave her a warm and friendly hug before picking his guitar back up and hopping into his boat. Pepper crouched down so as to still be able to make sure he could hear her.

"Aren't you scared?" she asked, her tone sounding very much like that of a parent. "If something like that can happen to you again? It's not like you were that far away from death when I found you washed up here." Bullfrog simply shrugged and proceeded to reply, "_Of course I'm_ **scared**. **But someone who I admire and respect once said to me, **'_A person only truly sinks once he gives up _**on trying to swim**.' **Besides, this time I've got Henson with me**." He motioned toward the frog on his shoulder who began to hop in place and croak out, "I've got Henson with me. I've got Henson with me."

Pepper amusedly rolled her eyes and stood back up to her full height. "So I guess that means a Parrot Frog can make a world of difference for anyone huh?" she said now sounding playfully sarcastic. "Just tell me that you'll be careful, all right?" Bullfrog nodded in reply as he undid the rope that was keeping him bound to the dock. "_Don't worry too much_," he said now beginning to drift off away from the island. "_This time_, **I plan on being smarter on how I do it**. **I won't say good-bye**, _but I will say thank you Pepper-sensei_. _I'm _**forever grateful for all that you've done for me**."

The woman now started to wave as the young man sailed farther and farther away. "I won't say good-bye either!" she called out to him. "I'll say instead, you're welcome! Good luck! And see you again, someday!" By now, Bullfrog and Henson were out of plain sight. Pepper held her hands together and lowered her head. "Please be safe," she quietly whispered with a smile.

Now out onto open waters, Bullfrog could only look as to what was in front of him. He held the empty sword sheath in his hands. "**First things first**," he said to Henson, the frog listening attentively. "**No matter where it could be**,** there's **_something I need to take back_. _Once that's done_, _we can go to the sea where only true pirates can be found_, **the Grand Line**." Henson nodded vigorously as he croaked out, "The Grand Line. The Grand Line."

Suddenly, water that was a good distance in front of their boat began to stir. Bullfrog took sight of this and set the sheath down while simultaneously instructing Henson to hop down from his shoulder. As the boat drifted closer, the stirring grew larger. Before Bullfrog could bat an eye, an enormous creature erupted from the water's surface. "**The Ichi Nar Shark**," Bullfrog observed. "**I was wondering** _when you'd show your ugly mug again_."

The creature to which Bullfrog was observing was a shark but much bigger than one people who didn't sail might expect. It was more than four times the size of Bullfrog's boat and its skin was so deeply colored dark blue, it almost appeared to be black. The most intimidating feature of this beast was the single imposing, ivory colored horn on its snout. The beast bared its fangs and Bullfrog and let out a ferocious roar. Bullfrog smiled and began to slightly chuckle. "_Crohohoho_, _as if that'll scare me_," he told the shark. "**I plan on seeing the whole world**! **I can't be scared away from my dreams by an overgrown guppy**!"

The Ichi Nar Shark lunged forward with its jaw wide open, more than ready to eat the entire boat and its contents in one go. Bullfrog simply grinned, crossed his arms, and then crossed both of his index fingers over both of his middle fingers. Just as the shark reared its fangs down onto where the young pirate stood, a rather large, transparent, neon green square appeared in front of Bullfrog. The very second the shark's fangs touch the square, they instantly shattered.

Stunned, the Ichi Nar Shark fell back into the sea. Quickly resurfacing the shock was still clear on its face as it stared at the square that had bested its teeth with its mouth agape. Now with Henson back on his shoulder, Bullfrog stepped from behind the square and gave the fish a cheeky look. "_All that's needed to make a barrier is to cross your fingers_," he confidently. "**Even a little kid could beat you if he could do what I can**." Crouching down, Bullfrog then proceeded to pick the entire barrier up. The grunts he made while doing so indicated that it was not all that easy to lift. Bullfrog then gave a mighty leap up into the hair and held the barrier high above his head, Henson clutching to his shoulder for dear life. "**Meteor** _Shield_!"

Bullfrog threw the barrier down onto the shark with as much force as his arms could muster. It came crashing down onto the beast with such power, that the mighty horn it sported shattered as easily as its teeth did. The shark was sent plummeting down into the water before bobbing back up a few minutes later, completely unconscious. Bullfrog and Henson shared a grin. "_Get ready world_," Bullfrog declared. _"This little frog _**is hopping out of his well to see and do everything he can and more**! **And that's the end of that chapter**!"

* * *

Okay, so first off I guess I have some explaining to do. First off, to anyone who has ever read my story, "Beyond the Sea," and was hoping that I would continue it, I'm very sorry to say that I will not. It's not as if I don't want to, but I feel like I wasn't really that much of a good writer when I was working on it. Don't worry though as I will never delete it. That story was my breakout and will always have its place on this site.

Now for anyone who is confused about the way Bullfrog talks, it's kinda meant to be like the way a frog would talk if it could. The idea was inspired by famous voice actor, Kevin Michael Richardson's portrayal of Emperor Milleous in Ben 10 Omniverse, where his voice would frequently switch between low and high pitches. For anyone who hasn't seen that show, I highly recommend it. It may not be as serious as Alien Force or Ultimate Alien, but in my opinion it's much more fun to watch. So readers I ask you, what is your take on Bullfrog? I wanted him to be similar to Luffy but not too much that he seemed like a clone. That's what I think was happening to Roshi from BTS.

I've been wanting to do a One Piece prequel for quite some time but a couple of things kept getting in the way. First, college. Second, I kept changing the protagonist. Originally there was going to be two captains. But I'm happy with how Bullfrog turned out. Now obviously as this is an OC story I will be accepting characters but there are some provisos, some quick pro-quos regarding the matter.

1. The position of first mate has already been reserved. I'm sorry but anyone trying to give Bullfrog a first mate will be turned down.

2. Haki will play a role in this story as it does in the original One Piece but not for quite some time. Anyone trying to submit a crewmate for Bullfrog who can already use it will be turned down.

3. As you may have guessed, I'm only using Devil Fruits that are canon in the original One Piece manga. Fan made fruits will not be accepted.

4. Any Devil Fruits that have been eaten by a Straw Hat pirate will not be accepted for any of Bullfrog's crew but can be used for supporting characters or antagonists.

5. Few characters from One Piece will make brief, but not major, cameo appearances. I will not accept any crewmates for Bullfrog who are related to such characters though. This means if you try to submit say, the man who would eventually become the father of Roronoa Zoro, you will be turned down.

6. Please no Logia Powers for anyone wanting to join Bullfrog's crew. They make rookies overpowered in my opinion and by extension, boring.

7. To prove you read all of these, please put the phrase "Dragon chasing Chipmunk," at the end of your character submission. Anyone who does not will be rejected.

Other than what's listed above, I will take as many characters as I can. This includes, enemy pirates, Marines, revolutionaries, civilians, Shichibukai and Yonkou. In all honesty, characters with an animal theme, whether it be in name, appearance, or ability, have the highest chances of joining the Croaker Pirates (Bullfrog's crew). I also like the idea of a few non-humans and humanoids joining the crew after it enters the Grand Line. This includes, mermaids, fishmen, dwarves, members of the Longarm or Longleg tribe, okama, and anyone of the three different races from the Sky Islands. The only exceptions are giants as they can be seen as overpowered. And I know I may have portrayed Bullfrog as being overpowered in this chapter but that was meant to be an homage to the first chapter of One Piece where Luffy punched out the Lord of the Coast. Trust me, Bullfrog has his own weaknesses which will be known as things go along. Also, I would like a definitive love interest for Bullfrog as unlike Luffy, he is not oblivious to love-based romance. Now for the OC form:

Name:

Epithet:

Affiliation:

Age:

Appearance:

History: (At least one paragraph long please)

Personality: (Again a minimum of a paragraph long please)

Abilities/Powers/Weapons:

Anything I may have forgotten:

So that's about it. Whoever gets a place on the crew will know by Christmas day as I will PM those who do asking for more miscellaneous information. Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, "Adventures of Old,"! See ya later!


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